Magazine

WikiLeaks

December 15, 2010

Julian Assange's year of "mega-leaks"

"Leaking is inherently an anti-authoritarian act. It is inherently an anarchist act. ... We get information in the mail ... vet it like a regular news organization ... release it to the public, and then defend ourselves against the inevitable legal and political attacks." —Julian Assange

Apr. 5

WikiLeaks publishes video showing a 2007 incident in Baghdad in which a U.S. military helicopter fires upon and kills a group of civilians, including two Reuters journalists.

May 26

U.S. government arrests PFC Bradley Manning and charges him with leaking classified information to WikiLeaks.

July 25

Wikileaks releases the "Afghanistan War Logs," a stash of more than 75,000 leaked U.S. military documents pertaining to the war in Afghanistan.

July 25

U.S. National Security Advisor General James Jones says WikiLeaks "could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk."

July 29

WikiLeaks posts a mysterious, encrypted file on its website, which Assange describes as a "thermonuclear" insurance policy.

Sept. 1

Sweden reopens a sex-abuse investigation against Assange. He says false allegations are part of a smear campaign by opponents.

Oct. 22

WikiLeaks releases "Iraq War Logs," 400,000 documents from the U.S. Army's field operations in Iraq.

Nov. 28

WikiLeaks publishes its third "mega-leak" of the year, more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables and documents.

Nov. 28

Peter King, the incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says WikiLeaks should be put on the official U.S. list of terrorist organizations.

Nov. 30

"Governments deal with the U.S. because it's in their interest, not because ... we can keep secrets." —Robert Gates